On Thursday, President Trump broke with years of US diplomacy by Tweeting that it was time for the US “to fully recognize Israel’s Sovereignty over the Golan Heights” saying that the Syrian territory that was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-day War “is of critical strategic and security importance” to Israel and to stability in the region.
Syria responded to the Tweet by stating that it “is more determined to liberate this precious piece of Syrian national land through all available means.” Various other governments and organizations including Russia, Iran, Turkey and the Arab League also criticized the statement, many of them pointing out that US recognition of the Golan Heights would violate international law, under which the acquisition of territory by war is illegal.
Read more: Syria vows to recover Golan as Trump policy shift draws criticism
